The Hear and Now	Posted: Sept 19, 2005
JazzTimes, Currents from the January/February 2007 issue WILLIAM WOODS The Hear and Now (Whaling City Sound) In addition to penning catchy titles such as “Pensacoloda” and “Paradigm Shifted Again,” doctor/pianist William Woods likes to play critic and review his own CDs in their liner notes, as he does here again on his fourth project: “The music is upbeat and vibrant,” he opines, “its statements crafted to be simple but poignant. The groove is strong and the CD rocks.” OK, now that he’s written half of this review, I guess I’ll have to write the rest. He’s basically right. With a dash of David Benoit, Joe Sample and Bob James, Woods’ strength is creating memorable contemporary jazz around piano playing that makes you sit up and notice, such as on “Listen to This” and “Lake Paranoid” (should have written something about the title of that song, William). Although the majority of the music is comfortably jazzy, Woods does rock, as he says, on the groovy, thick-beated title track and “Not Suitable for Children.” Woods has done it again with a prescription for cutting-edge contemporary jazz. Sorry, Doc, couldn’t resist. -Brian Soergel All Music Guide The brilliant keyboardist/composer's "day job" as a radiation oncologist has created an intense dichotomy of positives and negatives for his musical career. On the happy side, William Woods earmarked half the proceeds of his previous CD, 2005's Every Part of Me, to the American to the American Cancer Society, and half the profits from The Hear and Now to Habitat for... More Humanity. The negatives for this Smoothie Award winner? Maybe less time to get out and promote his music -- which stacks up smartly against smooth jazz legends David Benoit, Bob James and Brian Culbertson -- and get out and jam. And jam he does on throbbing old-school funk-jazz numbers like "Not Suitable for Children" and the slightly more easygoing "Pangaea," which features some of the disc's jazziest piano runs. "Listen to This" launches the collection with an exquisite Fourplay-esque blend of spirited, high-register piano elegance and bounce. The next track, "Getting' Dirty," doesn't quite live up to its title, being as refined as it is, but it fits right in the pocket as a radio-friendly, silky-bluesy, mid-tempo soul ballad (enhanced by Jeffrey Scott Wills' passionate sax). At the time of this release, Woods' Myspace page listed Bob James and Herbie Hancock as his top "friends." It's easy to see why those legends are fans. On this superior, edgy yet beautiful effort, he's effortlessly carrying the torch that they lit. -Jonathan Widran Smooth Jazz Therapy William Woods - The Hear And Now When, in 2005, I reviewed ‘Every Part Of Me’ by pianist William Woods I challenged the assertion that had previously likened his music to ‘an edgy brand of adult contemporary jazz that exists somewhere between a hip Boney James and a cerebral David Benoit’. Then, and now with his brand new offering ‘The Hear And Now’, this summation completely misses the point of where Williams Woods is at. Certainly there is some Benoit in there and at times a little Culbertson too but what Woods brings to the party is smooth jazz for grown ups and as such is far closer to Bob James. Consequently its totally fitting that one of the standouts of the new album is titled ‘Not Suitable For Children’. Played along on a shuffling mid tempo beat it has a haunting melody running through it and excellent sax from Jeffrey Scott Willis. In fact Willis (and the use of saxophone) is a new addition to the band that Woods had in place for his previous release. The other two new additions, Derico Watson on drums and Alana Rocklin on acoustic bass, line up with regulars Denny Jiosa on guitar, Chris Kent on electric bass and Glen Caruba on percussion to produce the sophisticated brand of contemporary jazz for which Woods is rapidly finding a niche. His mellow and melodic touch is evident throughout and none more so than with ‘Paradigm Shifted Again’, ‘Sweet Surrender’, ‘Sleep Tight’ and the classy ‘Listen To This’. With ‘Under My Skin’ Woods quickly finds a mid tempo groove. His keys sparkle like the sun on water and Denny Jiosa adds great value on guitar. ‘Lake Paranoid’ is jazzy and ultra pleasing while ‘Inside Job’ carries with it an urban smokiness to underpin Woods melodic playing. ‘Pensacolada’ reverberates with the kind of haunting melody that Woods does so well and is a track as accessible as anything on the album. That said, with its terrific smooth jazz swing and a great injection of sax from Jeffrey Scott Willis the Smooth Jazz Therapy standout is cut is ‘Gettin’ Dirty’. This one is right in the pocket from the get go and stays there. When Woods is not playing some of the coolest jazz piano on the planet he works as a radiation oncologist in the treatment of cancer patients. He donated 50% of the proceeds from his CD ‘Every Part Of Me’ to the American Cancer Society and, in similar vein, 50% of what comes from ‘The Hear And Now’ will go to Habitat For Humanity. -Denis Poole The Borderland.uk - MusicWatch William Woods - The Hear And Now [Whaling City Sound WCS 034] I have to admit to a keen sense of anticipation whenever a new album by Dr William Woods arrives through the letterbox. I’m a sucker for what used to be called jazz rock and now is either called smooth jazz or lounge music, and William Woods plays this sort of music with bags full of style and panache. The Hear And Now is his latest album, his fifth I think, bursting with a dozen very classy instrumentals, all strongly melodic and superbly performed by the good doctor and his exceptional band. Indeed, the opening track, Listen To This, sets out the Doctors’ musical prescription for most ills, and the remaining tracks are all mostly uptempo tunes that will lighten any dark mood. If you still like musicians such as Bob James, Spyra Gyra, and the Crusaders and melody and mood, rather than dance beats, do it for you, then this is the album you need to check out and you should explore all of William Woods’ other very listenable albums. An album of the year for me. -John M. Peters SmoothJazz.com The Hear and Now (Whaling City Sound) Words that always come to mind when listening to pianist Williams Woods are integrity and class. Here are some more: graceful, harmonious, artistic, elegant. Dr. Woods' (He's also a radiation oncologist) fourth release, THE HEAR AND NOW, continues to elevate his art. This is a superb collection of tasty, tasty Smooth Jazz, with the emphasis first and foremost on Jazz. No covers. He doesn't need them. Instead, he treats us to a dozen solid, organic originals, with the assistance of a world-class support team. Denny Jiosa collaborates once again with Michael Moryc for the production wizardry, and Denny, of course, lends his killer guitar work as well. Also on this date are Chris Kent on electric bass, drummer Derico Watson, Glen Caruba on percussion, Alana Rocklin on acoustic bass, and sax man Jeffrey Scott Wills. After a number of listens to this album, I find that narrowing it down to a handful of favorites is difficult. In fact, the more I listen, the more I like the idea of just leaving my player on endless repeat. I do love the ballad "Paradigm Shifted Again," but then again there's the hooky first radio single, "Under My Skin," and then there's the gently Latin "Pensacolada," and; See what I mean? There is just so much here to savor again and again. William Woods has truly outdone himself on THE HEAR AND NOW. He is indeed next in line to become a Smooth Jazz star. Pick up a copy - Stat! -Scott O'Brien Starportrait on smooth-jazz.de (Germany) William Woods - The Hear And Now William Woods who himself describes as a hip cross between Boney James and Bob James comes from a musical family (he is the son of violinist Lee Kanter). He attended Juillard, Princeton and then Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He is practicing as a radiation oncologist balancing his job with his jazz profession. "A Doctor's Dilemma" (1998) was Dr. William Woods' well-received first album, followed by "Cobalt Blue" (2004) and "Every Part of Me" (2005). "The Hear And Now" is William's fourth album released in 2006. The album is featuring Denny Jiosa (guitar), Jeffry Scott Wills (sax), Chris Kent (electric bass), Alana Rocklin (acoustic bass), Derico Watson (drums) and Glen Caruba on percussion. William Woods is a confessing smooth jazz artist with the impetus to perform smooth jazz at it's best. The album is produced by Michael Moryc and Denny Jiosa, a well-established team which also pushed Williams' third album to success. Woods is donating 50 percent of the proceeds of his new album to benefit Habitat for Humanity. "This was the easiest album to make because I had an amazing run of inspiration," Woods said. "In the span of a year, I wrote about 36 tunes of which I selected 12 for the CD. I just felt a lot freer expressing myself and the music flowed as it had never done before." The album starts with Listen To This, a title which can be taken literally. The song has a funky attitude sparkling Williams' joy in performing his piano. After some chords you will certainly share his energy. Gettin' Back is more laid-back and relaxing. Featured artist is Jeffrey Scott Wills on sax. Wills performed with artists like Lisa Baker, Roy Vogt or Hattie Willcox. Will is an excellent sax player with a great dose of sensibility. Pensacolada reveals William Woods composer talent. This melody is quickly settled down in my head and when William is starting his jazz improvisation with excursions to other musical motifs one is wondering that this tune is so soon finished. Paradigm Shifted Again is another slow tempo tune with a hooking melody caressing one's ears. William Woods is a perfect piano player who masters mood and melody in a way we all know by great artists like Bob James. The provoking title Not Suitable For Children announces a change in tempo and style. Call it bold sense of adventure or anything else, William Woods certainly prefers to change his styles to prevent the listener from falling asleep. William Woods also mixed classic melodies with modern rhythm elements as to hear on Pangaea. Sweet Surrender remembers me at a expressionistic picture, Woods creates his melody with dotted key strokes and then his performance explodes into myriads of tons. Sounds easy but shows much experience and many hours of study. Under My Skin is one of those dynamic pieces I really love and are the reason of my affinity for smooth jazz. Bob James, Alex Bugnon, Joe McBride, David Benoit, Rob Mullins, Marcus Johnson, you can count William Woods to these artists. There is a certain tension between melody and rhythm on The Hear And Now. William performs his piano play on a constant programmed rhythm, I would prefer the dialog with a real jazz drummer. You remark the difference listening to Lake Paranoid, on which William is supported by Caruba (percussion) and Watson (drums). This is vivid and infectious. Inside Job receives its smoky noblesse by Denny Jiosa's guitar play. It was a wise decision to invite those musicians to this project. William states: "The musicians picked up on the energy in the studio and took it to a whole different level." Sleep Tight is another example for this miracle. A perfect symbiosis of Williams sophistic musical arrangements and the input of the other artists. William Wood's new album The Hear And Now takes effect to listeners and critics. Perhaps no flush of excitement but the certain feeling to listen to something valuable which deserves repeated play. -Hans-Bernd Hülsmann TheCelebrityCafe.com William Woods - The Hear And Now - An enthusiastic instrumental album that’s filled with pep describes The Hear and Now, by William Woods. “Listen To This” has Woods’ signature piano play along with percussion work from Glen Caruba, which makes for a witty opening track that will make listeners very interested in hearing the rest of the album. “Gettin’ Dirty” has more piano play from Woods and electric bass work from Chris Kent; combining the two makes for a smoking combination of musical rhythms. “Pensacolada” has a jazzy beat to it with Woods stepping things up a bit and showcasing his cunning piano work. “Paradigm Shifted Again” illustrates both keyboard and piano work from Woods that mesh his knack on both instruments. “Not Suitable For Children” has more percussion work from Caruba and piano work from Woods. All in all, The Hear and Now, by William Woods, utilizes classical instruments at their pinnacle. Reviewer: Sari N. Kent new Reviewer's Rating: 9 O's Place Jazz Newsletter William Woods - The Hear and Now 5/4 O's Notes: William’s music is easy to listen to. He plays piano and the leads a band of musicians through a dozen very strong grooves. They are anchored by the rock solid beats of Chris Kent (elect b), Alana Rocklin (acous b), Derico Watson (d) and Glen Caruba (perc). Denny Jisoa (g), Jeffrey Scott Willis (sax) and Woods share the melodies without getting in each other’s way. "Listen to This", "Inside Job" and "Not Suitable For Children" stand out among a sea of very good tunes. -D. Oscar Groomes Jazz Lynx (9/29/06) Pensacolada - William Woods: Although he's a full time radiation oncologist, William Woods has ample credentials having graduated from The Juilliard School of Music. In 1997, he recorded his debut release entitled A Doctor's Dilemma, which generated sufficient interest to encourage Woods to pursue his passion. Subsequent efforts continued to expand on that solid foundation with The Hear and Now, Woods' just issued fourth release of original material setting a new standard of excellence for the Englewood, New Jersey native. Exhibiting a style that is simultaneously exhilarating and edgy, Woods continues to shine as both a musician and composer on this latest effort. Serving up a great mix of jazzy flavoured tunes, we've selected one of his finest!!
Every Part of Me	Posted: Sep 29, 2006
Review by: Brian Soergel, JazzTimes William Woods is a rare bird in the jazz world. He doesn't need to live on his touring and CD sales because he's a doctor. Woods is a radiation oncologist, which means he works with cancer patients. With his new CD, as with his previous two, Woods donates 50 percent of proceeds from sales to the American Cancer Society. But Wood is also a serious musician who trained at Julliard. All this means that he's free to create music that means the world to him, and this case it's smooth jazz. But not just any smooth jazz. As he playfully states in the liner notes: "...I believe that I have provided more note value per entertainment dollar than the leading brand of smooth jazz CD." He does, too. Working with Michael Moryc and veteran smooth-jazz guitarist and producer Denny Jiosa, Woods offers funky instrumental songs like "Alive, Living in Jersey" and "Whadja Expect?" that do, indeed, contain a lot of notes. But he's just as comfortable making movie-soundtrack music, as with the exquisite "Stir the Ashes" and "Every Part of Me." Review by: Mary Bentley, SmoothViews William Woods is a physician by trade, an oncologist to be specific, but in his spare time he finds the time to write, play, and record smooth jazz songs. Every Part of Me is his third release to date. There is a sense of depth and sophistication to the musicianship on this CD. There is also a sense of lightness and humor as well. He manages to combine the two opposite concepts into an interesting blend of smooth jazz tunes. The opening track, “Alive, Living in Jersey,” pays homage to his native state. His playing style on this tune is reminiscent of Bruce Hornsby on “The Way It Is.” “Whadya Expect?” is a mid-tempo piece supported by a funky bass groove by Chris Kent. William Woods focuses on creating strong melodies which are accentuated by the members of the band: Denny Jiosa (guitar), Chris Kent (bass), Glen Caruba (percussion), and Raymond Massey (drums). The title song, “Every Part of Me,” is the standout song on this album. It’s a melodic tune, and the soft shadowing sound of the guitar to the piano adds a nice touch. “Quicksand” is another interesting song. It breaks into a Latin groove for the chorus portions of the song. You can’t help but move when you hear it. This CD plays to a variety of moods, and if you like keyboard/piano playing with more of a laid back style, then you’ll enjoy this CD. As with his two previous releases, “physician musician” William Woods donates 50% of the proceeds from the sale of his CDs to the American Cancer Society. Review by: Paula Edelstein, Allmusic/AMG Familiarity breeds contentment, particularly among William Woods' smooth jazz fans. With Every Part of Me the medical doctor/pianist/composer rejuvenates his listeners with fresh, funky finesse on 11 new songs. Unlike Woods' 2005 Smoothie Award winner Cobalt Blue, his jazz piano voicing skills emerge from a darker space and logically progress into more exotic, advanced chords and substitutions as the program continues. "Alive, Living in Jersey," "Every Part of Me," and "As I Breathe You" are delivered with heartfelt emotion in a smooth jazz state of mind. Intuitive chord structures abound on "Under the Radar," as it gives Woods the chance to flaunt his beautiful technique. The highlight of the session is Woods' haunting melody on "The Fire Within." With the addition of flute, unusual changes, and shifting dynamic shadings, this song exudes soulful musical colors with its captivating sound. The Latin pulse underneath provided by percussionist Glen Caruba adds another noticeable dimension that Woods' fans are sure to enjoy. Review by: Scott O' Brien, Smoothjazz.com One of the things I really like about keyboardist William Woods' work is the musical integrity and class he brings to his albums. Take his third release, EVERY PART OF ME as a case in point. All eleven superb tracks are quality originals, he's assembled an all-star group of sidemen for the session (guitarist Denny Jiosa, bassist Chris Kent, percussionist Glen Caruba, and drummer Raymond Massey), and retained one of my favorite producers, Michael Moryc, to work hand-in-hand with Denny Jiosa and the results speak for themselves. This disc is an outstanding, world-class excursion into contemporary jazz, offering memorable melodies delivered with understated, introspective elegance. The tracks I personally keep coming back to are the first Smooth Jazz radio single, "Alive, Living in Jersey" and the catchy "Whadja Expect?" I also really like the very lyrical title track (definitely the album's standout ballad) and the intriguing "Out of the Woodwork." There''s really no need to cherry-pick the tunes on this album, though, as every one of them is a solid, first-rate performance. I definitely have to mention what I think is unique about William Woods-his dual careers, as a jazz pianist and radiation oncologist. Tying this all together is the fact that 50% of the proceeds from the sales of EVERY PART OF ME go to the American Cancer Society. You buy the CD, enjoy superb Smooth Jazz, and you help fight cancer. Now there's a win-win situation if ever there was one Review by: Jazz Lynx, Cafe Jazz Radio, Canada’s Smooth Jazz Connection - Alive, Living in Jersey - William Woods: Woods is a New Jersey native who began in music on violin before discovering his affinity for piano. As a teen, Woods focused on composition and developed a passion for improvisation. He went on to study at The Juilliard School of Music. However, he also continued his education outside of the sphere of music. He attended & graduated from both Princeton and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and presently works as a radiation oncologist. Over the years Woods has balanced a rigorous schedule as a physician with his love of being a jazz musician. Encouraged by the recent success of many projects that were strictly studio ventures, he decided to throw his hat into the ring and in 1997 he issued A Doctor's Dilemma his debut. That & his subsequent release attracted a fair degree of interest so that Woods has developed an ever increasing & eager following. His 3rd and most recent album is titled With Every Part of Me, a project that was to a large extent created to fulfill his own needs as a musician. As such, it provides a refreshing change from some of the more predictable & mundane fare that permeates music today and showcases some of Woods' most compelling work to date. A case in point is Alive, Living in Jersey, an exhilarating piece that we're very pleased to present on this edition of the show!! Review by: John M Peters, www.the-borderland.co.uk This is the third album by pianist William Woods received here for review and I have to say that for a medical man [that's his day job] he dispenses medicine in a unique way. Every Part Of Me is his latest and on a new record label, Whaling City Sound, which I hope will enable him to become more widely known and enjoyed. Anyway, the new album is made up for the most part of small group up tempo jazz – you can call it 'jazz-lite' if you wish, but the whole album is one to leave you with a smile and feeling a lot better than before you pressed the play button. There are eleven selfcomposed instrumental tracks here, with William Woods ably backed by his regular band of Denny Jiosa [guitar], Chris Kent [bass], Clem Caruba [percussion] and Raymond Massey [drums]. Favourite tracks include Every Part Of Me, Whadja Expect?, and Destroying Angel, but there are no bad tracks on this CD - play it in the car, or late at night to relax to, the music here fits most circumstances. Highly recommended. Review by: Smooth Jazz Therapy 1. 2004 was a good year for adult contemporary pianist William Woods. His second CD, ‘Cobalt Blue’, was released to critical acclaim and picked up a Smoothie Award along the way. In addition, the first track lifted for radio play, ‘Blue Me Down’, was included by WJZW DJ Al Santos in his 2004 Top 50 Year End Countdown. Now Woods is back with his latest release ‘Every Part Of Me’. It is his first on the Whaling City Sound label and is already being embraced by all who hear it. Given that he is the son of professional violinist Lee Kanter, it’s not surprising that Woods, who was born in Englewood, New Jersey, started out on strings. However at the age of nine he discovered a much greater affinity for piano and developed a passion for both improvisation and composition. A tragic side note to his musical development was written when, as a student of New York City composer and musicologist, Ernest Lubin, he arrived one day for class to find that his instructor had been murdered. He was able to move on from this horror and pursued his studies at Juilliard where he first performed some of his original works. Woods graduated from Princeton and from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He works as a radiation oncologist treating cancer patients and, over the years, has found a satisfying balance between the rigorous schedule of a physician and the process of jazz composition and recording. His music has been likened to ‘an edgy brand of adult contemporary jazz that exists somewhere between a hip Boney James and a cerebral David Benoit’ but, for me, this summation completely misses the point of where Williams Woods is at. Certainly there is some Benoit in there and at times a little Culbertson too but what Woods brings to the party is smooth jazz for grown ups and as such is far closer to Bob James or, with the backing musicians he has assembled for ‘Every Part Of Me’, the sound of Fourplay. In fact that should be ‘Fourplay plus one’ as Woods, together with Denny Jiosa on guitar, Chris Kent on bass and Raymond Massey on drums is joined by Glen Caruba on percussion for this tight and sophisticated collection of smooth jazz that contains more than a few highlights. Whether it’s the slightly funky ‘Under The Radar’ or ‘Quicksand’, where Woods flip flops between Latin rhythms and west coast grooving all in the space of a single track, the enjoyment value remains consistently high. Woods has a mellow and melodic touch that permeates the entire album and this is best demonstrated on tunes such as ‘The Fire Within’, ‘Every Part Of Me’, ‘Stir The Ashes’ and the ultra sophisticated ‘Shadow Boxing’. ‘Destroying Angel’ is a good track with a driving beat that provides a distinctive back drop to Woods cool playing whereas his compelling keys are very much in evidence on the uplifting ‘Out Of The Woodwork’. A contender for best track on the album is another mellow offering, ‘As I Breathe You’. This one is all about Woods melodic playing while equally strong is ‘Whadja Expect’. It has a loping beat, a simple yet funky melody ala Brian Culbertson and a kind of Steely Dan thing going on somewhere in the background. Possibly the most commercial tune is the mid tempo ‘Alive, Living In Jersey’ where rhythm and melody from Woods plays well with a big and edgy bass line. ‘Every Part Of Me’ is produced by legendary jazzmen Michael Moryc and Denny Jiosa who has played with both Kirk Whalum and Slim Man. With all eleven tracks written by William Woods this is, in every respect, just what the doctor ordered and, if that wasn’t enough, Woods donates 50% of the proceeds from his CD’s to the American Cancer Society. 2. Watch Out For William Woods …Another tune staring to make waves in radio land is ‘Wadja Expect’ by William Woods from his CD ‘Every Part Of Me’. This Smooth Jazz Therapy featured artist balances his time as a musician with that of a radiation oncologist and, with ‘Wadja Expect’, has a little gem on his hands. It has a loping beat, a simple yet funky melody ala Brian Culbertson and, somewhere in the background, a kind of Steely Dan thing going on. To find out if this could be the breakthrough single for William Woods check back next week and every week for news of the tracks that are hot on American smooth jazz radio. Review by: D. Oscar Groomes, O's Place Jazz Newsletter Dr. Woods (p) plays a bubbly set of smooth jazz tunes that contrast with some darker selections. The catchy riffs are infused with some dazzling piano solos. Denny Jones (g), Chris Kent (b), Glen Caruba (perc) and Raymond Massey (d) give William a lot of support with tight funky rhythms that make the music move. The highlights are the melancholic “Stir The Ashes”, the funky “Quicksand” and “Shadow Boxing”. Review by: Jaimie E. Gusman, thecelebritycafe.com - William Woods’ third album Every Part of Me, is an outstanding musical collection for 11 tracks. Although Woods is classified as contemporary jazz, the originality of each song speaks for itself. I personally enjoy “Alive, Living in Jersey,” the self-titled song “Every Part of Me,” and “Out of the Woodwork” for their smooth yet catchy melodies. Woods’ music is very fresh, making the whole album enjoyable. Half of the proceeds got to the American Cancer Society, making this CD a great buy not only for the music, but also for the cause.